


To Lean a Little, to Love a Lot

by JayMitchell



Category: While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25650961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayMitchell/pseuds/JayMitchell
Summary: It's been a few days since his wedding was cancelled. Peter Callaghan decides to help out the one who was supposed to get married.
Relationships: Jack Callaghan/Lucy Moderatz
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	To Lean a Little, to Love a Lot

On any other day, in another occasion, he would be happy for his brother. He would not deny that Peter was the more successful Callaghan, nor would he ever try to outdo him on such an important event.

Jack was trying his hardest to summon those feelings back. After all, he still had time.

Lucy wasn’t around yet, and everyone was starting to get a bit more anxious than excited. “Maybe she forgot,” his father mused out loud. “A woman doesn’t forget her wedding day!” his mother replied, barely keeping the worry out of her voice. His grandmother seems to be unaware of the chaos in the chapel, while Saul was looked like the one who was worried on his grandmother’s behalf.

“Where is she?” He could not help but think he had spooked her the night before.

Hell, he could not, and would not get that conversation out of his head for as long as he lived.

* * *

“Jack!” Lucy had called out his name, just as he was trying to get out of this place as quick as possible. He had been inside her small yet very charming apartment, and as soon as he settled into the simple environment, the thought of Peter being a constant visitor taunted him. The very thought burned him, and he just wanted to leave.

Still, that soft voice called to him, and he was powerless to ignore it.

“Can you give me any reason why I shouldn’t marry your brother?”

It seemed to be a simple question, but to Jack, it was the window he had waited for these past few days.

He could tell her about how many times he had bumped into Peter in the streets of Chicago, with seemingly one different blonde woman after another. He could tell her how he had grown distant over the years, being buried in his success that he had drifted away from the family. He could tell her that -

He could tell her that he loved her. That, in these last days he had spent with her, she had made his world brighter with her in it. That she made his family feel better and whole again.

And yet.

He wants to tell her that she deserves the whole world. That someone of her kindness and goodness of heart deserves what she wants, laid down on her feet. That she deserves more than a stamp in her passport.

And that…

He was not the one who could give it to her.

So he says, with such finality that he could muster; “I can’t.”

* * *

The opening strains of the wedding march plays, forcing Jack back to reality. He sees Lucy, a bit nervous and out of breath, her father’s coat still hanging lopsided on her. He allows himself to smile, and perhaps to remember Lucy being happy today, of all days. He tells himself, “She deserves this,” after all of the harsh things that had happened to her - she deserves this much.

He sees Lucy glance at him, and he struggles to prolong that smile - half knowing it was meant for Peter, and the other half being he badly wished he WAS Peter right now.

“Snap out of it Callaghan,” he admonishes himself. “She loves Peter, and Peter loves her. You just have to be happy for her.”

That doesn’t quite do it, as his mind seemed to betray him by playing the events of the last days over and over again.

Then suddenly, her voice - wavering but clear - tells everyone in attendance.

“I object,”

It’s enough for him to look at her with disbelief, with the waves of relief starting to anchor him down.

He finds his voice, empowered by her look.

“I would have to object too.”

The Priest must have heard a variety of objections during weddings in his ordained life, but the ones from the bride and the groom’s best man and brother must have been rare. “What about you?”, he asks Peter, probably still confused from the coma. He could only answer with, “I’m thinking.”

“What the hell is going on?”, his father asks, while his mother is looking at the three of them trying to figure it all out.

“I’m in love with your son.” Lucy replies, and in that moment, Jack held his breath.

Ox smiles, though a bit worried. “I know.”

Lucy shakes her head, “Not that one.”

“That one,” she says, and for emphasis, points at him.

Jack could have sworn he needed to be sent to the ER right away. She loved him! Lucy Moderatz loved him!

His father turns his attention to Jack, and all he could do was to try to keep from grinning too hard. “What did you do?”

Jack had always grown under his brother’s shadow, though he honestly didn’t mind. But now, just for now, things were looking up for Jack Callaghan.

Or so he thought.

* * *

What started as a declaration of love turned into something else. Something he never expected.

Lucy had confessed - she had never been engaged to Peter.

That took out the air out of him rather hard. He had his suspicions - didn’t he ask her all those questions? Now it seemed to both be real and made up at the same time. She did manage to answer everything - did he even want to know how she found our about Peter’s testicular situation? - and yet here she was telling everyone she barely met him before that day on the tracks.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he slipped, frustration starting to creep up on him.

Their gaze briefly met, and in pain, she could only reply, “I didn’t know how.”

He tries to make sense of it all, of how Lucy seemed to be both the right person for Peter and not the kind of person Peter would be with.

At least he knew now.

He wanted to ask her, or at least speak on behalf of his now dumbstruck family, but she was there, baring her soul to the family she knew. And now all Jack wanted to do was to hold her close and tell her everything was going to be okay.

“I object to this wedding!” Ashley breaks the all too sincere moment, with her husband objecting to her objection. In the midst of all the chaos, Lucy quietly slipped out, and waved her good bye at Saul.

Right now, every part of him wanted to go to her, and comfort her. But now he had to get in between Peter and Ashley’s husband, and to sort out this bigger mess Peter had accidentally spilled over.

But did he have to?

For once in his life, he wanted to be just a bit selfish.

He dodged the curious guests and patients and tried to catch up with her. Jack kept on frantically pressing the elevator button, and got in the first available one.

Outside, he tried to look at the incoming and outgoing cabs, but to no avail. “Lucy?”, he yelled out, hoping she’d somehow look back. But no one answered back.

In a yellow cab, far from Jack's searching eyes, Lucy was trying her best not to cry. She’d finally done it, and it was for the best. For a short time, she had the love of a family. But she could not bear to have it all from a lie.

* * *

A few weeks after, and it all seemed back to normal - at least to some definition of normal. Peter was given a clean bill of health - and time to sort out whatever was between him, Ashley and her husband. The Callaghans were cleaning up the festive decorations and were all but ready to go on with their lives.

Jack, well - Jack decided to start on with his own future. A few more designs out of the shop, and he was on his way to bringing a new business under the Callaghan name.

Everyone was moving on - or at least looked like they moved on.

“Hey,” Peter nudged Mary who, was trying to be as discrete as possible in observing her brother.

“Hey,” returned Mary, as she accepted the cereal the oldest Callaghan sibling had offered. If there was one thing the whole Ashley Debacle had done right, it was bringing the Callaghans closer together. Not that Peter got scot-free from his mother giving him lectures to last him a lifetime, but at least the Callaghans somehow got Peter back.

Somehow. Now, it seemed that Jack had chosen to quietly distance himself from everyone else for the time being. While no one had publicly voiced out their concerns, they all knew that something had to be done. Mary seemed to be the most eager to do that very thing.

“He hasn’t talked much has he?” Peter asked, as he took a handful of corn flakes and popped them into his mouth. Mary shot him a puzzled look, but then shook her head as a reply. “He misses her. He has to be, right?”

Peter nods, carelessly brushing his palm off his pants. “Jack’s never the type to tell anyone what he wants. He’s only now starting to have a business separate from the family’s. If we wait for him to do something regarding Lucy, it’s gonna be by the time you get married.”

Mary scoffs at that. “If I ever get married. I’m starting to think Father Feehilly isn't going to officiate marriages for any Callaghan as long as he lives.”

It makes him laugh, and at least Mary laughs along with him. Silence follows, as the two watch their brother fill up a page of his sketchpad with his designs. Peter wonders how far Jack would have been in life if he stayed around and encouraged him to pursue what he had wanted back then. His decision may have hurt their father for a while, but Ox supported him nevertheless - and their father had done the same with Jack.

In a way, Peter owes Jack. He had stayed on, to keep his father happy, thinking it did make him happy.

He had to do something.

Peter nudged Mary, who had already finished up her cereal. “Go upstairs and ask ma and pa if they have no qualms about Jack having their engagement ring. But do it quietly, or else this won’t work.”

Mary’s eyes grew wide with excitement, but then her brows did show her doubt. “I like that, but what are you talking about?” He walked to the kitchen, with Mary following him from behind.

“I’ve been out of practice for a couple of weeks. I have to see if my lawyering skills are still as sharp as they are.”

* * *

Jack had more or less designed five beds, four drawers, three cabinets, two dining tables and a rocking chair. Fine, some of them were sketches and not actual diagrams, but he wanted to start somewhere. Anywhere.

Possibly away from here.

He thought he didn’t need to be here.

The last thing he needed was anything he could relate to Lucy, and his parents’ house had chock-full of them. How they first met when she left early for her job, of that strange dinner and a mistletoe induced kissed. How he sat through his mother gushing over how perfect Lucy was, and how Peter had chosen well.

He sighed deeply, reminding himself yet again that it was all in the past. It was lovely to have while it was here, but the past was where it belonged.

The creaky swing of the back door disrupted his chain of thoughts, as Peter came out, two steaming mugs in each hand. Jack managed to flash a weak smile, and tried to get back onto the matter on hand.

“Never knew you had the talent for that,” Peter started, as he offered the cup of coffee to him. Jack closed his eyes, then took the bait. “Well, you were the one who was good in numbers and the law and stuff. I was bound to get the creative genes.”

Peter settled in the chair across Jack’s, and asked, “What about Mary?”

Jack shrugged, brushing his hair back. Being polite, he took another sip of the coffee, and tapped on the mug. “You suppose it’s not yet too late to rename the business ‘Callaghan and Daughter’?”

“That would be progressive of pops,” Peter concurred. He let silence lay between them for a while, before starting with his opening.

“You miss her Jack, don’t you.”

Jack could only squint, and in a huff, he answered, “Oh no, you’re not going to cross-examine me-“

Peter’s rather stern voice told Jack to sit down, and so he did.

“You miss her, and I am willing to bet all of the money in my accounts - plus my apartment which the two of you so willingly stained - that she misses you too. And that she misses being a part of our family.”

Jack silently agreed, even if he cannot put in the same bet as his brother. But it was too complicated. “Peter, it’s not that easy -“

“Nothing’s ever too easy when it comes to us Callaghans. Mary told me how much they let Lucy be a part of the family. Grandma making her a sock the moment they came back from the hospital? Ma and pop trying to figure out how to invite her for Christmas dinner? Hell, even you greeted her warmly the day after.”

The younger Callaghan was simply stunned at how the older was laying out his case. Still, he wanted to make his point across. “It’s really not that easy Peter-“

“How is it not easy?”

“Because!” Jack sighed out, frustrated how he just wanted to avoid all of this. “Because Lucy feels bad enough that she lied to us. That she let the lie last that long. She’s already made peace and solved everything and left so we can all move on. Someone as sweet and nice and kind and _amazing_ as her felt so bad of doing this one little lie and she couldn’t go on with that. The least we could do is to respect what she wants, even if it means she wouldn’t be a part of our lives.”

Peter let him breathe for a while, before letting out his rebuttal. “Jack, I don’t think you think that’s what Lucy thinks.”

That made Jack roll his eyes. “So much for your lawyering prowess.” His brother leaned over, taking a bigger gulp of coffee. He winced, but still went on. “I think you know that she was happier when she was with the family, rather than being all alone. And that it isn’t too late. She told us she loved you. You, you dumbass! And that you love her too. The lie she said brought her to a loving family, and to someone who loves her for who she is. Who would do anything to make sure she was happy, even if it meant to marry the bigger dumbass of a brother. She deserves a family who loves her and someone who is in love with her.”

Right now, Jack felt like he was a teenager again,waiting for that inevitable lecture from his mother or his father. Of how he can’t be more like Peter, and how he should try to be more like him.

He was somehow thankful that he never even tried that. If he did, well, would he have met Lucy? Would Lucy fallen for him?

Still, in one aspect, he wished he could be his brother. “I’m not even sure if she wants to ever see me again.”

Peter rolled his eyes, then chuckled. “I can’t believe you’re about to make me say it but - how will you know if you never tried?”

The two of them just looked at each other, Jack laughing to break the tension. “Yeah, that’s about how I pictured you being a lawyer.” The two of them stood up, Peter hugging him too tight for Jack’s liking.

“Mary!” Peter yelled out, and in a second, the youngest Callaghan was out. “Got the ring?”

Mary showed up with them the said ring. “Yeah, I got the ring. God you two just had to put out the words out there huh?”

“Tell ma and pop I’m heading out to Lucy’s.” Jack told her, and he got a hug as a reply. “Like hell they’re gonna let you do this alone.”

The three of them went in, only to find Midge and Ox bundled up and ready to leave. “Saul’s not yet here, but I called him up to tell him the good news!” Ox said, as Midge picked up Jack’s worn jacket. She helped him wear it, sniffling and smiling at the same time. “Go get her Jack!” she said, he bent down to kiss her forehead.

“I’ll pick up Saul, Gran, you can come with us.” Peter offered, as the Callaghans started to bustle through the door. “I’m guessing he knows his way to Lucy’s?”

Jack nodded his affirmative, and waited until his parents and his sister were comfortable inside his truck.

He still can’t quite believe the kind of family he’s got.

* * *

Jack pulled up over at Lucy’s apartment, and as he got down, her could hear his parents comment on Lucy’s neighborhood. Trust his mother to compliment, and his father to let out some pointed observations. Mary opted to walk with him, and he held the door open -

Only to be greeted by Joe Fusco Jr.

“Hey… Man,” he said to Jack, staring him up and down. Joe Jr. shifted a few inches, actively blocking the stairway up to Lucy’s apartment. “You here to see Luce?”

Jack slightly puffed himself up, and cooly replied, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am going to propose to her.”

That statement was enough to change Joe Jr.’s demeanor. “Oh! Oh she’d love that! That’s gonna be the nicest thing to happen to her since New Year, with the derailed wedding and all -“

Ox sighed out loud and seemed to slightly shove Joe Jr. away. “So maybe you can let my son up so he can do the proposing?”

“Oh, she’s not here! She’s at the train station, it’s her last day I think.”

What hope and joy Jack had was suddenly replaced with dread. “Last day?”

“Yeah. She said she got offered a job, and she’s gonna take it, but might have to move houses so - “

The Callaghans started to bustle out back to Jack’s truck. Jack, being the last to leave, was suddenly stopped by Joe Jr. “Make her happy, uh…”

Jack offered up his hand for a handshake. “Jack Callahan.” Joe Jr. was only too glad to shake the man’s hand.

* * *

The Callaghans pulled up to the L station, this team with Peter in the lead. This part of the town, he’s at least familiar with.

“I’ll stay behind, make sure we don’t get flagged or whatever,” he said as he helped Saul and Elsie out of his car. “Don’t mess this up Jack, or else I will propose for the second time.”

That earned him a smack up the head from Saul, and a swat in the arm from Elsie.

Jack could feel his feel beat louder as he climbed the steps. The excited chatter from his family was drowned out by his doubts and fears. What if they had missed her, where could she be next?What if Lucy didn’t want anything to do with them? What if Lucy didn’t want anything to do with him?

He reached the top of the stairs, closely followed by Mary. She gave him a sisterly hug, encouraging him with this huge thing he’s about to do. He drew in a deep breath and made his way to her booth.

All he could see was her hair, head bent low, and keeping to herself. If this was her last day, she must have been trying to make through it as uneventful as possible.

Him being there might defeat that purpose.

A couple more passengers dropped their coins, and only then did it occur to him that he had no box for the ring. He absently felt around his jacket thinking he had something that could house the ring, only for Mary to press a coin in his hand.

That gave him an idea.

* * *

Celeste left for the day, wishing her well. Her very last day at the station, in this booth.

Wendy, still feeling guilty about the mixup, had told her about a job at the hospital, as an administrative assistant in one of the departments that neither involved the ICU nor emergency situations. The pay was definitely better, and though she was loathe to leave this family, she just had too.

“You don’t need to say anything Lucy,” Jerry said as she handed him her resignation. “You deserve a better life than sitting in a booth all day.”

He was partially right though - she did deserve a better life, but she had hoped that it was one with the Callaghans. A life with one of the sons, whom she was pretty sure wanted nothing to do with her. She saw the way his face changed from hope to being confused to the disbelief of her letting the lie last that long.

Oh how she missed them. She missed them so much, she felt an ache at times just by thinking about them. How Midge would tell her about the recipes she was so excited to share. How Saul and Elsie tried to pinpoint which celebrity of yore did what. How Ox was proud of how his children came about. How Mary would narrate things she could never share with her brothers.

She missed Jack, of how he tried to be the Callaghan his family wanted to be, and how he wanted himself to be.

But that was all in the past, and she was very honest with her confession. She will always love them, in her heart.

A couple of tokens came and went, somehow becoming the tick tock until her day ended. After this, she can at least forget what happened here that led to the family she once had.

Then a stronger clink broke her out of her thoughts, prompting her to check if an old lady might have dropped another wrong coin. She looked, only to see a solitaire engagement ring, dropped off in the hole. Looking up, she thought there had been a mistake.

The scene before her was enough to stop her breathing.

Jack was, oh, he was _leaning_ , at the counter, stopped by the partition. Beside him was Mary, and Elsie smiling ear to ear. Ox, Midge and Saul made up the rest of the eager family, relief visible in their faces at seeing her again.

She could not help but to smile at them all.

“Lucy?” she heard Jack say, as she gingerly picked up the ring. It was so small, so simple, so… Perfect. Her heart pounded faster, as Jack told her, “I need to ask you a question.”

The two of them just looked at each other, only to break in smiles as they both heard Elsie instruct her grandson. “Get down on your knees - it’s more romantic!” Just like their dinner, Jack dropped his head when Saul cut Elsie off, “He’s proposing, let him do it!”

“I am letting him do it!” came Elsie’s reply as she nudged Saul away. The joy and familiarity this scene before her made Lucy hide her laugh behind her hand. Oh God, did she miss them.

Jack’s voice was more hopeful this time around, “Can I come in there please?”

She couldn’t help it,but she thought she should do it anyway. Lucy forced herself to be serious all of a sudden.

“I can’t.” Lucy answered him softly.

* * *

_Oh._

Jack wasn’t expecting that. He was pretty sure she was smiling, and… She was holding the ring? Did she… Did Lucy not him - and, he supposed, the rest of his family - in her life? He was so sure of it -

“Not without a token,” she then said, a smile slowly forming on her lips.

Oh.

Well, she still was working after all, and she isn’t about to allow any future fiancés to cross over without paying their dues.

Jack tossed the coin into the hole, and waited for Lucy to let him through. He waited for that satisfying ding of the turnstile to break eye contact with her, and practically waltzed to her.

They can hear the family buzz with excitement, he was sure he was hearing his mother plan out another wedding. But none of that mattered right now.

Jack leaned to Lucy, hoping she still remembered what leaning meant in this world. It was so good to see her again, more so that she would be accepting his offer of -

* * *

“Marry me?” Jack asked, in that low, husky voice of his. Out of the many conversations she replayed in her mind these last few days, Lucy was more than happy to add this fresh new one in her memories.

“Yeah,” she answered, and appreciated the small smile that escaped his lips. “I love _you.”_

She loved him. Jack once asked her how she fell in love with Peter in the span of three months, and there they were, falling in love with each other in a much shorter time than that. There was that indescribable pull between them, the loneliness of the other suddenly gone whenever they were together.

“I love you back,” he responded, and without hesitation, completed the lean to kiss her - of which she gladly accepted.

This was certainly different from the mistletoe kiss. The two of them were still denying their attraction to the other back then. This was simply the culmination of all those moments. Something that was denied to them all those days, now being fulfilled in a token booth in Chicago.

“Oh, that’s nice.” came from Saul. “I’m so happy!” was from Midge. Lucy was the first one to break the kiss, a small laughing coming out from her as she saw the Callaghans happy from the other side. Jack saw them as well from the side, and could only hide his face on Lucy’s shoulder out of embarrassment. The delight he had right then had made him completely forget his family was there. 

Oh well, they were there anyway, and by God, they would never leave. So they might as well go on with the kissing.

* * *

Jerry was all too happy with the engagement news, of Lucy being engaged to the correct brother, that he granted Lucy an early last day. Ox and Saul’s friendly suggestions weren’t needed at all, but they were appreciated. Lucy gave a final hug to Jerry, and even wiped a few tears away as they left the station.

Being newly engaged, both Lucy and Jack had this renewed confidence of going out and walking together, hand in hand. They can still hear the Callaghans preparing for a wedding, and when Jack briefly let go of Lucy to get his keys, Mary grabbed the opportunity to steal Lucy. Mary’s eyes were still a bit red, but both she and Lucy were all too glad for the realization that they were soon to become sisters.

Outside, they saw Peter leaning on Jack’s car, looking at his watch one in a while. Maybe they took too long up there, that Peter must have had talked to too many traffic officers in the area.

“Thank God!” he yelled out at the delegation walking toward him. “I was one more officer short of being dragged away from this place.”

Lucy smiled, a bit awkwardly at first. Peter somehow sensed that, and offered his hand out. “Hello, I’m Peter Callaghan. I’m Jack’s more handsome, more successful brother.”

Lucy took his hand, and let herself in on the joke. “Oh, did I say yes to the wrong Callaghan?”

Jack looked worried at first, then smiled when Lucy stuck her tongue out at him. “There are simply too many Callaghans in the area right now, you might be confused which one you said yes to.” That earned a playful shove from Lucy, and another hug, the second one today, from Peter.

“You deserve this one Jack,” he said when the hug ended. Turning to his family, he announced, “Dinner’s on me. To really welcome Lucy to the family - what do you say? My treat.”

And just like that, the family was abuzz with suggestions as to restaurants and food items. They left the same way they arrived, with the variation of Mary, Ox and Midge taking a cab, to give the newly engaged couple the truck to themselves.

As Jack revved his truck to life, he snuck a look at Lucy, who turned to him just in time.

“You’re not regretting this now, are you Lucy?” he asked, just to be sure. He had thought all of this was maybe too much for just one day. He wondered if the Callaghans were too much for her lifetime. He was relieved when she shook her head.

“This is just… Perfect.” she said wistfully, as he smiled at her. Perfect was a good way to end today.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly forgot the order of which the brothers went by. And yes, I did extend that ending as long as I have liked.


End file.
